The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a ruling from a federal judge in Texas that would have put a pause on the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone, a medicine used in two-step medication abortions. This decision will allow for nationwide access to mifepristone to be preserved until Wednesday, when the justices will consider next steps. Abortion clinics are readying contingency plans in case mifepristone's FDA approval is overturned.
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Montana has become the first state to ban the popular social media app TikTok, with the state House of Representatives passing a bill to prohibit downloads of the app and its operation within the state. The bill goes further than prohibitions in place in nearly half the states and the U.S. federal government, and is seen as a testing ground for a potential TikTok-free America. It remains to be seen whether other states will follow Montana’s lead and enact similar bans, and how the bill will be enforced and withstand legal scrutiny.
On Friday morning, the U.S. Capitol Police confiscated an assault-style rifle with an extended magazine from an off-site delivery facility. The driver of the truck, Michael J. Donohue, was taken into custody and faces charges for possession of an unregistered firearm and ammunition. The investigation is ongoing, and the Capitol Police have not released any further information about the incident.
The U.S. Justice Department and Treasury Department have announced a major crackdown on the Sinaloa cartel, with charges filed against four sons of imprisoned drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and sanctions imposed against two Chinese companies and five people in China and Guatemala. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the charges are part of a larger effort to combat the trafficking of fentanyl coming north into the U.S. while also cracking down on the trafficking of guns going south into Mexico. The Biden administration has said it is committed to strengthening cooperation with Mexico to combat the trafficking of fentanyl and other drugs.
The Society of Family Planning's report reveals that medication abortions provided by virtual-only providers have increased by 136% since the Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to abortion in June 2022. Total abortions decreased by 2%, and the Guttmacher Institute found that medication abortions already accounted for more than half of all US abortions in 2020. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled to preserve but narrow access to an abortion pill across the U.S., and the rate of medication abortions is likely to continue to rise.
The Biden administration has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in an emergency dispute over a Texas judge's ruling which prevents pregnant women from obtaining the key abortion drug mifepristone by mail. The Justice Department argues that the ruling countermands the FDA's scientific judgment and would make it more difficult for women to access the drug, particularly in rural areas. The Supreme Court has yet to respond to the motion, which if accepted, would put the lower court ruling on hold and allow women to continue to access the drug by mail.
Key takeaways: GOP lawmakers are continuing to push for restrictions on abortion access. Republican presidential contenders must balance the party base that favors outlawing the…
Former U.S. Capitol Police officer Michael Riley was sentenced to 120 days of home incarceration and two years of probation for offering advice to a rioter and deleting messages when contacted by the FBI. Logan Barnhart, a 42-year-old pipelayer from Michigan, was sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting police at the Capitol during the attack. Judge Amy Berman Jackson took into account Riley's job loss, health issues, and lack of criminal history in delivering the sentence, and noted the seriousness of Barnhart's actions and the need to deter similar behavior in the future.